Home Sweet Home
by Skarlettgirl
Summary: Story 4 in the 'Two for the Road' series. Adam and Evelyn recall the time she first came to the ranch. Thanks to all who are following the series and are taking the time to leave their comments. It is greatly appreciated! You are the reason I write! Cheers! :-
1. Chapter 1

Adam sat on the front porch gently strumming a tune on his guitar. The night air was crisp and fresh with a hint of the coming season. He loved this time of year when the days were warm and the evenings cool. It had been a tiring day on the ranch and he was glad to have this time to unwind. Several minutes later he saw Evelyn exit the kitchen door with two cups of coffee in her hands. Lately, meeting on the porch in the evenings had become somewhat of a ritual for the couple. They were free to discuss the day's events without the fear of young ears hearing something they ought not. It also gave them an opportunity to reconnect as a couple.

Carefully placing his guitar on the table, Adam reached out and took the mug offered to him by his wife. "Are all the children asleep?" he asked her before taking a sip of his camomile tea.

"Well they're in bed and all is quiet for now. As for being asleep, I have no idea and frankly I'm too tired to care," replied Evelyn as she plunked herself down into the seat next to her husband.

Putting his arm around her shoulders Adam chuckled softly. "Yes, I suppose the Saturday night bath routine can tire a person out."

"I think I would have rather branded cattle with you and the other men today."

Evelyn's statement made him burst out laughing

"I had no idea I was so amusing," she remarked dryly.

"Oh, but you are my dear," he remarked in between laughs.

Evelyn was puzzled by Adam's sudden enjoyment with what she had said. Her curiosity, however, then turned to irritation when his laughing did not cease. "For heaven's sake Adam, What is so blasted funny?" she snapped.

Adam stopped laughing, cleared his throat then turned to face his irate wife. "Do you remember the last time you helped brand cattle?"

Evelyn thought for a moment. Her face flushed slightly as she recalled the time Adam spoke of. "I haven't thought of that for ages," she giggled. "I change my mind; I'd rather do the bath routine."

"I thought you might," grinned Adam.

Rising from her seat, Evelyn strolled to the edge of the porch. Leaning against one of the posts, she folded her arms across her chest and gazed skyward. "You sure didn't have a view of the stars like this in the city," she recalled. "I never imagined I would end up loving this place more than Boston, but I honestly do."

"That makes two of us"

"Yes, I suppose the Cartwright men love the Ponderosa more than anyone."

"That's not what I meant," chuckled Adam.

With a baffled look, Evelyn turned to face him. "What did you mean then?"

"I never thought you would love Nevada either, especially after the first few days you were here."

"I have no idea what you are referring to; I have always loved living here," she said nonchalantly.

"Don't play coy with me Evelyn Louise Cartwright, you know exactly what I am referring to," he mockingly scolded.

"Yes I know, and I do not need to be reminded," Evelyn huffed. "You know Adam in my defence it was very difficult to leave my family and move thousands of miles away."

Standing up, Adam walked over to Evelyn and put his arms around her. Holding her close he said "I know it was Hon and I'm glad you feel at home here. I'm sorry to tease but it was so funny Evvy."

"You call that an apology?" Evelyn barked breaking free from his embrace and stomping to the far end of the porch.

"Come on Evvy, don't be like that. You know I mean well." Adam waited for a moment for her to respond. He figured the line had been crossed when he heard what sounded like sniffling coming from Evelyn. Great, he thought, now's she's crying. You really fouled this one up Cartwright. Adam approached Evelyn and soon came to realize she wasn't crying at all. "Are you laughing?" he questioned with a scowl.

Trying to muffle her laugh, Evelyn turned to see her husband glaring at her. With hands on his hips and a raised eyebrow he exclaimed "Why you little minx, you are laughing!"

"I couldn't help it," she chortled, "I just remembered the look on all of your faces when I came down the stairs that morning."

The sour expression on Adam's face disappeared and was replaced by grin. "You did give us quite a shock," he said.

Taking Evelyn by the hand, Adam lead her back to the wooden loveseat and the two of them sat in silence as they breathed in the good night air. After a minute or two Evelyn looked over to see Adam deep in contemplation. "Penny for your thoughts?" she coaxed.

"Do you have any regrets about marrying me and coming to the Ponderosa?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Marrying you, never; coming here, just one."

"Which is?"

"The first impression I gave to your father and brothers was less than ideal. I regret my behaviour back then, I was raised better," she told him then paused a while before speaking again. "Though, sometimes I wonder how altered our circumstances would be if we had stayed in Boston. It was certainly a different way of life."


	2. Chapter 2

"Will ya be needin' to take this gown as well Miss?" asked the young maid, holding up an elaborately embellished purple satin frock.

"Of course Jenny; I want to make a good impression on Adam's family, don't I?" Evelyn said rising from her vanity and walking over to the woman. "It's one of my favourites. Father saw it in a boutique window when he was last in New York and knew I just had to have it. Isn't it positively stunning Jenny?"

"It 'tis Miss. Prettiest I've ever seen."

"It's from Paris you know," declared Evelyn.

"You're very fortunate to have such a caring papa, Miss."

"Yes, very fortunate indeed," she said, her voice now sombre. "I will miss my family terribly, especially Father." Evelyn returned to her vanity and proceeded to pack some jewellery and cosmetics in a small leather case. When finished, she carried the case over to her bed and placed it on the mattress. "What if they don't like me Jenny?"

"Who Miss?"

"Mr. Cartwright and the others."

"That's not possible Miss," smiled Jenny.

"I'm not so sure Jenny. From what I understand, Benjamin Cartwright is a very affluent land and cattle baron. I'll probably be living in a mansion with dozens of servants, and numerous responsibilities. Responsibilities only the lady of the house could handle, such as party planning. What if Mr. Cartwright deems me unfit to be Adam's wife?"

"Beggin' yer pardon Miss, but yer talkin' foolish. Why ever since yer mama passed on, God rest her soul, yer papa saw to it ya had the best there was. The best book learnin', music lessons, and dance classes the city had to offer. Also, if ya don't mind me saying Miss, yer one of the prettiest and nicest ladies I've ever been in service for. Yer more than fittin' to run such a fine household. They'd be lucky to have ya!"

"Oh Jenny," Evelyn cried as she embraced her, "thank you! I hope you're right." There was a slight knock at the door. Evelyn gave Jenny another tight squeeze before calling out for the person to enter.

Adam opened the door. "Are you almost ready? We need to be leaving shortly or we'll miss the train."

"Yes Adam. I will be down in a few moments."

"That's fine Evvy. How are you Jenny?"

"Very good sir," she replied with a little curtsey, "thank you sir."

"Glad to hear it Jenny. Well, I'll leave you to finish then ladies," he grinned then gave a slight bow of his head before closing the door behind him.

"Ya married yerself a right fine gentleman there Miss."

"Thank you Jenny, I believe I did," smiled Evelyn. "I hope someday you'll be able to find someone you love as much as I love Adam."

"Oh but I have Miss," blushed the petite maid as she took two more dresses out of the large wardrobe.

"Why Jenny O'Malley, you're wicked! How could you keep such wonderful news from me?"

"Wouldn't be proper, Miss."

"Don't be a silly goose!" she said excitedly. "So who is he; has he proposed?"

"His name's Alastair and we're to be married next month," replied Jenny softly. She quickly changed the subject by addressing the garments in her hands. "There's no room in your trunk for these, Miss. Shall I have then sent to you?"

Evelyn thought for a moment then smiled. "I think I shall make a gift of them. You look much better in pink than I, and the pale yellow would look wonderful for your wedding, providing you don't have a dress yet."

Jenny looked down at the two dresses in disbelief. "Oh no, I couldn't Miss!"

"I insist. You have been such a wonderful companion to me over the years and it is the least I can do."

"It's mighty kind of you Miss, but I couldn't possibly; I just couldn't."

"Jenny O'Malley you are making me very cross! You will take those dresses and that is the end of it!"

"Only if you insist, Miss."

"Of course I insist," Evelyn said rolling her eyes. "Besides, you of all people should know I always get what I want."

"You do at that Miss," laughed Jenny. "Thank you, Miss. 'Tis a grand gift."

"You're most welcome Jenny dear."

As the maid closed and locked the many pieces of luggage, Evelyn strolled over to her mahogany desk beneath her bedroom window. Sitting down, she pulled out a piece of paper and envelope from the top right-hand drawer. Taking her pen, Evelyn dipped it in the ink well and quickly composed a short note. As the note dried, she reached into a small purse that rested on the desk. Taking something from the purse and stuffing it into the envelope, she then folded her note and placed it in as well. "Jenny, take this and the dresses to Mrs. Lawrence," Evelyn instructed, handing Jenny the envelope. "It will take care of the alteration costs with a little left over so you and Alastair can celebrate your marriage somewhere special," she winked.

"Miss Evelyn!" exclaimed Jenny with a beet red face. "You shouldn't say such a thing!"

"Oh Jenny, don't be such a ninny. I'm a married woman now and a modern one at that," declared Evelyn as she sauntered over to her vanity. Picking up a black felt hat with bright teal plumes, she positioned it carefully on her head then poked in a large hat pin to keep it in place. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Evelyn turned towards Jenny. "Well, I guess that just about does it then. How do I look?"

"Stunning, Miss. The proper wife to a proper gentleman."

Tears began to well up in both women's eyes. They walked towards each other and hugged each other tightly. "Oh Jenny, I will miss you terribly," cried Evelyn.

"And I you, Miss! Thank you so much for your gift, it was right generous of ya," she said with tears running down her cheeks.

"You're welcome, Jenny," muttered Evelyn softly. "Make sure you write me, especially about the wedding."

"With my writing it will be a short letter," Jenny laughed, "but I'll do my very best. Good-bye Miss Evelyn, and may the good Lord bless you."

"And you, Jenny."

The women released their embrace. Giving one last good-bye, Evelyn left the room of her childhood not knowing when or if she might see it or Jenny O'Malley again. Walking down the corridor, she quickly composed herself before heading downstairs. It would be a long morning of farewells, and with the way things were currently going it was not going to be easy.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucas Morgan stood on the platform of the train station checking the time on his pocket watch. In precisely seventeen minutes he would be saying good-bye to his daughter, not knowing when will be the next time they would meet. The thought of passing the responsibility of Evelyn's well-being to a stranger did not sit well with him. True, Evelyn was no longer a child, but that didn't stop him from treating her as such, especially after the death of his wife. Cordelia Morgan had passed away after giving birth to their youngest, Thaddeus. At the age of ten, Evelyn became the lady of the house, and a spoiled one at that. To compensate for the loss of her mother, Lucas showered his only daughter with anything her heart desired. However, when she turned eighteen and desired Baxter Truman, Lucas put his foot down. Two years later came Montgomery Stillman, who was shown the door with rapid speed as well. No one was good enough for Evelyn in his eyes - that is until Adam came along.

Lucas could see how much Adam Cartwright loved his sweet girl and how much she loved him, but that didn't prevent him from consenting to their marriage reluctantly. He had met Adam's maternal grandfather, Abel Stoddard, at a dinner party years ago and considered him a trusted acquaintance. Lucas only knew of Benjamin Cartwright through associates at his firm and understood him to be an honourable and respected individual. Despite his trust in his colleagues' judgement, Lucas was not prepared for a man he barely knew to take his little girl two thousand miles away.

Seeing Evelyn, Adam, and the others approach him on the platform, Lucas closed his watch and placed it back in his vest pocket. "Wallace, is everything checked in?" he asked his eldest son.

"Yes, Father. I believe we managed to get Evelyn's entire luggage in order. Last count was..."

"Thirty-nine," Emmett cut in.

"Very funny," pouted Evelyn.

"Don't be cross, Ev. Who knows the next time we will be able to tease our little sister," grinned Emmett.

"Is Thaddeus not with you?" questioned Lucas, changing the subject.

"Last time I saw Thad he was talking to some girl by the ticket counter," chuckled Emmett.

Rolling his eyes, Lucas turned to Wallace. "Will you please go find your brother and bring him here?"

"Yes sir. Come on Emmett, let's see if we can track down the young scamp," he laughed as the two of them left the platform.

"Evelyn, please join your brothers in finding Thaddeus," Lucas said to his daughter.

"Father, I'm sure Wallace and Emmett don't need any help finding Thad. I'll just stay here with you and Adam."

"Evelyn, I wish to speak to Adam alone," he hinted in an exasperated tone, "now go find Thaddeus."

Evelyn gave Adam a sheepish grin and a look as if to say 'good luck', then turned and walked off the platform to join the hunt for fifteen year old Thaddeus.

When Evelyn was out of earshot, Lucas spoke to Adam. "I'm not one for beating around the bush, Mr. Cartwright. What I have to say to you will be brief and to the point, so pay attention."

"Yes sir," Adam gulped, his palms now beginning to sweat.

"As you are well aware, Evelyn Louise is my only daughter and is very precious to me. Her happiness is my top priority, which is why I consented to this marriage. She loves you very much..."

"And I her," Adam assured him.

"Please do not interrupt, Mr. Cartwright."

"Sorry sir."

"As I was saying, she loves you very much and this has her in a rather euphoric state. She is naive to the changes moving west will bring to her life." Lucas took a deep breath, and after letting it out slowly he continued. "I fear I may have sheltered Evelyn too much as a child, Mr. Cartwright, thus encouraging a dependency on myself and on a particular lifestyle. The role of Evelyn's provider and protector is a responsibility I have taken very seriously, a responsibility I am now forced to pass on to you, young Cartwright."

"I understand sir," stammered Adam.

"Do you, Mr. Cartwright? Do you also understand that I am a formidable barrister who's legal and political connections reach far beyond Boston?"

"Yes sir I do."

"Good, then there will be no need to tell you that if my Evelyn is ever unhappy with her new life out west, someone will be subject to serious repercussions."

"No sir, you will not need to tell me," Adam verified, knowing exactly whom he meant by 'someone'.

"Excellent! I'm glad we had this little talk son."

"Yes sir," said Adam with visible relief that the verbal lashing had come to an end.

The two gentlemen stood in silence for a few minutes before hearing a familiar voice.

"Quit pulling my arm Emmett, I'm coming!" Young Thaddeus Morgan was being partially dragged to the train platform by his older brother, while Wallace and Evelyn trailed behind them.

"Thaddeus James Morgan, how many times have I told you not to wander off?" barked Lucas.

"Too many to count, Father," smirked the adolescent.

Lucas just rolled his eyes; his youngest was definitely a handful. Lucas, however, didn't have the heart, or the energy for that matter, to discipline the boy. Whenever Thaddeus was in trouble, Lucas would find a way to bail him out. Whether it was making a donation to a school to help 'reconsider' an expulsion, or speak to an irate father about some ungentlemanly behaviour; Lucas always found a way to handle the situation.

The train pulled into the station, covering the people with smoke and signalling the time had come to say good-bye. As Adam proceeded to shake his brother-in-laws' hands, Evelyn spoke to Thaddeus. "Well, Thaddie, I will miss you so very much," she said hugging him tight. "Please try harder to behave before you send Father into an early grave."

"I'll try Ev, but I'm not promising anything," he said wryly giving her a wink. Evelyn rustled his hair then turned to Wallace.

"You will surely be missed little sister," he stated, sweeping Evelyn up in an embrace. "Promise you and Adam will come back for a visit."

"Just try and keep us away," she replied as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Don't go getting all emotional on us now sis. This is hard enough without you blubbering," teased Emmett. Evelyn laughed softly as she hugged her older brother.

"All aboard!" bellowed the station conductor.

Adam offered his hand to Lucas, who in turned accepted and shook it with a vice-like grip. "Good-bye, Mr. Morgan. Please be assured that Evelyn is in good hands. I love her very much and will do all I can to make her happy."

"I trust you will, Adam," Lucas affirmed then turned to face Evelyn. He took hold of his daughter and embraced her tightly. Never one for showing much emotion, Lucas did his best to hide the tears now welling up in his eyes. "If you ever want to come home, just wire me and I'll have a ticket waiting for you," he whispered in her ear.

"Father, I'll be fine. Adam will take good care of me," she whispered back. "I love you, Father."

"I love you too my sweet child," and with that, Lucas Morgan released his daughter and watched her ascend the train with Adam.

Once seated, Adam and Evelyn waved one final good-bye to her family then settled in their seats for the long journey ahead.

"Father likes you, I can tell," Evelyn mentioned casually as she removed her gloves and crammed them into her purse.

"Well if he does, he has a funny way of showing it," Adam remarked. "What makes you think he likes me?"

"He let me marry you, didn't he? The others just weren't good enough I suppose."

"Others? What others?"

"It's a long trip my love, there's plenty of time to discuss past experiences," she assured him. "So how many servants do you have and what are their duties? I want to be prepared when I assume responsibility."

Adam chortled loudly.

"What's so funny?"

"Yes, it is a good thing that it is a long trip Evvy. We definitely need to talk."


	4. Chapter 4

Evelyn Cartwright's stomach began to twist into knots at the distant sight of Virginia City. Soon she would be meeting her husband's family for the first time and this did not sit well. Adam had corrected her preliminary thoughts of mansions, servants, and opulence on the Ponderosa. 'It's a hard life, but a good one' he had told her on the train, but how hard a life Evelyn did not know. Am I ready for this? What if they don't like me? Did Father mean what he said about a ticket home? These questions and more raced through Evelyn's mind as the stagecoach pulled into the town.

"Well here we are," Adam stated proudly, "ready to meet my father and brothers?"

Evelyn smiled weakly and nodded her head. Ready or not, here I come she thought.

Adam quickly disembarked then turned and offered his hand to Evelyn. Exiting the stage, she looked up to see a large man with light hair and bright blue eyes grinning at her profusely.

"Hoss!" yelled Adam as he leapt onto the sidewalk and shook his hand violently. The two men slapped each other on the back and exchanged brief dialogue before Adam brought the hefty gentleman closer to Evelyn.

"Evvy, this is my little brother Hoss. Hoss, my wife Evelyn."

"A right pleasure to meet you ma'am," greeted Hoss, tipping his hat.

"Little brother is rather an understatement, don't you think, Adam?" smiled Evelyn. "It's very nice to meet you, Hoss."

"You're right, Evvy, there's nothing little about Hoss here," agreed an amused Adam. "Where's Pa and Little Joe, Hoss? I thought they would be here to meet us as well."

"Little Joe, now is that an oxymoron because he's as big as Hoss or does the name suit him?" enquired Evelyn before Hoss could answer.

"It's no oxymoron," Adam replied. "Little Joe is well...Little Joe."

"Would he mind if I just called him Joe?"

"Don't think he'd mind a bit ma'am," smiled Hoss then addressed his brother's question. "They're back at the house; had to make sure everything was just right for your missus, Adam."

"They needn't do that, Hoss. I don't want to be any sort of a bother," she politely mentioned. Secretly, however, Evelyn hoped that they were fussing about to make things as comfortable as possible for her. It had been a long, emotional trip from Boston to Virginia City. She was tired, dusty, overwhelmed and yearning for a hot bath and a soft bed.

"I reckon yer too sweet to be any bother," Hoss blushed and then quickly changed the subject. "Got us a table at the hotel for lunch. Figured ya might want a bite to eat and relax 'fore heading to the ranch."

"That was very thoughtful of you, Hoss, thank you," she replied with a sigh of relief.

"Yes Hoss, thank you," added Adam. "Why don't you escort Evelyn to the hotel while I gather our belongings and put them in the buckboard?"

Before Hoss could answer Evelyn wrapped her arm around his. "Shall we then?" she suggested.

"Uh, yes ma'am," Hoss managed to say as they crossed the street heading for the hotel.

"Please call me Evelyn; we are, after all, family now."

"Yes ma'...I mean, Evelyn," stammered Hoss, correcting himself.

"Hoss is such an interesting name; one I've never come across before. Is it short for something?" she enquired.

"My actual name is Eric. Hoss is a Swedish name my Uncle Gunnar wanted me to have that seemed to stick. It means a big friendly man."

"And from what I've seen and heard today, a well-suited name," Evelyn cheerfully commented as the pair strolled into the hotel lobby.

"Pa! Joe! Hop Sing! We're back!" Hoss called out as he rode Chub into the front yard and quickly dismounted. Adam and Evelyn were close behind in the buckboard, which was loaded down with several suitcases and trunks. Descending from the wagon, Evelyn saw three men exit the house and walk toward her and Adam. The oldest of the three marched up to Adam and embraced him firmly.

"Welcome home son," he said releasing his grip then slapping Adam hard on the back.

This family sure has an aggressive way of welcoming a body home Evelyn observed.

"And this must be Evelyn. Your descriptions did not do her justice Adam. She is more beautiful than I could have imagined," Ben remarked looking at the woman. "Welcome my dear," he said holding out his arms towards her. "Welcome to the Ponderosa."

Evelyn accepted his embrace happily. She was missing her father tremendously and hoped to find a surrogate in Ben Cartwright. "Thank you, Mr. Cartwright. It's wonderful to be here."

"That's rather formal don't you think?" he questioned with mock annoyance. "You must call me 'Ben', or better yet 'Pa', if you are so inclined."

"I am so inclined, Pa," she grinned.

"Ahem!" coughed Joe, breaking up the moment. "Think I could say hello to my new sister-in-law?"

"Hello, Joe," laughed Evelyn as she gave him a hug.

"Hello yourself," beamed Joe then whistled loudly. "Boy it's a good thing you didn't grow up around these parts. Adam woulda had his hands full of competition over you."

"Joseph!" scolded Ben. "That is no way to address a lady!"

"Please don't be cross with him, Pa," Evelyn pleaded gently. "I thought it was a lovely compliment."

Hoss then chimed in trying to lighten up the tension that seemed to have suddenly crept in. "Evelyn, this here is our cook and friend Hop Sing."

Evelyn bowed to the man then spoke "hen gaoxing jiandao ni."

"Xie xie," replied HopSing, bowing as well. "Nice to meet you too, Miss Evelyn."

The Cartwright men stood there in amazement. "You didn't tell us she could speak Chinese," Joe whispered to Adam.

"I had no idea," Adam whispered back.

"Now that everyone has been introduced, shall we go inside?" asked Ben then turned to Evelyn. "After you my dear."

Evelyn was pleasantly surprised with her husband's family home. It wasn't as grand as houses back in Boston, but it had a certain feel they lacked. It was a warm, welcoming feel which had a calming effect on Evelyn. Perhaps living here won't be so bad after all she thought.

"Adam, why don't you show Evelyn to your room so she can rest before dinner," Ben suggested.

"Of course; how does that sound to you Evvy?"

"Wonderful. I am rather fatigued from our journey.

Before I go up, could you direct me to the water closet please?" Adam quickly muttered something in her ear which made her blush slightly. "Oh I see, excuse me gentlemen," Evelyn said visibly embarrassed as she left the room and return outside.

"What makes her think we store water in a closet? That's what the well is for, right?" asked a baffled Joe.

"That's fancy city talk for an outhouse, Joe," laughed Hoss. "Though I ain't sure why you need a fancy name for that."

"Me neither, Hoss," chuckled Adam as walked towards the front door. "Me neither."


	5. Chapter 5

It was about eight o'clock when Hoss came down the stairs for breakfast. With him he carried a small piece of paper and a puzzled look.

"You seem rather perplexed son," acknowledged Ben as he sat at the dining room table with Joe and Adam.

"No Pa, I'm just a little confused is all," replied Hoss scratching his head.

Ben chuckled lightly. "What are you 'confused' about son?"

"This note Evelyn gave me to give to Hop Sing. I think it's what she wants for breakfast."

"Well what does it say, Hoss?" asked Joe.

Hoss unfolded the paper and proceeded to read the words the best he could. "Less creeps avick dess freeze ett dee lah creamy."

"Let me see that," grumbled Adam taking the note from his brother's hand. "Les crepes avec des fraises et de la crème."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Hoss asked.

"It's French for pancakes with strawberries and cream," he sighed, shaking his head.

Adam excused himself from the table and went upstairs. Within five minutes he descended the stairs with Evelyn following behind. Her hair had been quickly pinned up and her face was flushed from embarrassment. All the men rose from their seats when she arrived. Evelyn apologized from her tardiness then proceeded to eat the meal placed before her.

Back in Boston she rarely ate breakfast in the dining room, because if she did it meant she would be eating alone. Both Wallace and Emmett had homes of their own and Thaddeus spent the majority of the year at boarding school. Her father always left early in the morning for his office, so breakfast with him was out. Every morning Evelyn's maid Jenny would bring a tray of food to her bedroom. The two women would enjoy a hearty meal and gossip about the snobby girls at Evelyn's school. This whole eating at the table with family was a new concept for Evelyn. She welcomed the change, but was worried that her faux pas was not the best impression to make on her in-laws. Hopefully this will be the last mistake I make, she thought. After all, how hard could it be to run this house?

The next morning, Evelyn was at the table precisely at 7:30 am. After a fine meal of ham and grits and entertaining conversation the men excused themselves from the table to start their day's work.

Before leaving Adam approached Evelyn. "Hop Sing went to Virginia City for the day to help a doctor friend of his. You'll need to take care of the breakfast dishes and have lunch ready for noon."

"You want me to make lunch?"

"Yes. Why, is that a problem?"

"Um, no it's not a problem per say. I just really don't know my way around kitchens, is all," she confessed.

"Hop Sing keeps a pretty organized kitchen. You won't have any problems find what you need," Adam assured her. He gave her a light peck on the cheek then left to join his father and brothers.

"Right, no problems," Evelyn scoffed as her eyes fell upon a table full of dirty dishes.

The next few hours passed swiftly for Adam's new bride. When the men returned at noon, they were greeted by a sweaty, flour-covered Evelyn. "Have a seat and I'll bring out lunch straight away," she called as she raced into the kitchen. The men did as they were told and in no time at all they were each presented with a plate of crudely cut vegetables and burnt biscuits covered with a gloppy, chocolate brown substance. After grace was said the men stared at their plates hoping to mentally change its contents into something edible.

"Uh, sweetheart, what exactly are we eating?" Adam asked cautiously.

""Biscuits and sausage gravy silly, can't you tell?" she beamed proudly.

"Yes, of course," he said with a forced smile.

"Well bon appetite gentlemen! If you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen."

"You won't be joining us?" asked Ben.

"No sir, I've already eaten. Besides, I should probably clean the ceiling before Hop Sing gets back from town," she answered in a 'matter of fact' way before leaving the room.

"The ceiling?" chuckled Hoss.

"I don't want to know," groaned Adam as he glanced at his meal.

The men choked down their meals, thanked Evelyn, and then left to finish their work. Before departing this time, Adam handed Evelyn a short list of chores to be done before dinner: feed chickens, water horses, beat rugs. Sure there were only three chores on the list, but with how things went this morning, it left Evelyn feeling less than optimistic. _This is going to be one long day_, Evelyn thought, _a very long day indeed._


	6. Chapter 6

Leaving the dishes for later, Evelyn dragged two medium sized carpets from the great room and slung them over one of the hitching rails in the front yard. Not knowing what she was supposed to use to beat the rugs with, she went back into the house and scanned the room for possibilities. When her eyes fell upon the gun rack a small grin crept onto her face. "You ought to do the trick," she said picking a worn Winchester rifle from the bunch. Evelyn strolled to the front yard and began beating the two rugs with the barrel of the rifle, releasing clouds of dirt with each strike. Everything was going fine until the gun suddenly went off making Evelyn fall backwards and blowing a silver dollar sized hole into one of the carpets. Swearing under her breath, Evelyn stood up and brushed the dirt of her dress.

"What kind of idiot keeps a loaded gun in the house?" she fumed. "How the hell am I going to explain this?"

Proper etiquette had now given way to a foul mouth and temper. Growing up, Evelyn was seen as a sweet and agreeable child, until she was crossed that is. When Evelyn Louise Morgan became frustrated or angry, Hades himself would run for cover. Her father summed up his daughter's personality with help from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

There was a little girl,

Who had a little curl,

Right in the middle of her forehead.

When she was good,

She was very good indeed.

But when she was bad, she was horrid.

With the ways things were currently going, Evelyn's breaking point was coming soon. Knowing she needed a chance to compose herself, Evelyn decided to walk away from the carpets for the time being and concentrate on another assigned task, watering the horses.

Hauling two buckets of water to the barn, Evelyn stumbled over to one of the horses' stalls. Taking one of the buckets, she stood on a nearby hay bale. "Here horsey, horsey," she beckoned. When the animal approached, Evelyn surprised it with a cooling shower of water. "Four or five buckets per horse should qualify as 'watering' I think," she beamed to herself upon seeing her recent accomplishment.

Feeling tired but more confident in her 'ranch chore' capabilities, Evelyn decided to tackle feeding the chickens. Lugging the sack of feed to the coop, she carefully lifted the door's latch and stepped inside. Evelyn pulled the sack to the centre of the coop and dumped its entire contents into a pile on the ground. Within seconds thirty hens swarmed Evelyn, pecking her and the feed violently. She screamed and flailed about trying to kick or swat the chickens off of her. When Evelyn was finally able to escape the coop, she collapsed to the ground. Laying there for a moment trying to catch her breath, Evelyn's thoughts began to race. Of all the ways to die, she never imagined death by chickens would ever make the list.

This was the last straw. The little girl with the curl was about to become horrid.

"What in the world...?" Ben muttered as he rode into the front yard of the ranch.

"Oh Evelyn what have you done?" Adam cringed silently as he dismounted Sport and surveyed the yard.

"Pa!" yelled Joe from the barn. "The horses and stalls are soaking wet!"

"I beg your pardon."

Joe raced up to his father. "The horses and stalls, they're all wet."

"Pa! Over here!" bellowed Hoss from the chicken coop. The men rushed over to find a coop full of feathers and battered hens. "Looks like the saloon after a fight," Hoss commented. "Everyone knows you gotta spread the feed around so the hens don't attack each other."

"Apparently not everyone, brother," Adam sighed.

"My rug!" shouted Ben. The men ran over to their father who was standing in front of a hitching rail. Ben bent down and picked his Winchester rifle from the ground. "She shot my carpet Adam!" he roared. "She shot my imported Persian carpet!"

"Pa, I'll take care of it," Adam said calmly before walking into the house. His father and brothers followed close behind but were stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing the condition of their home. The dishes from lunch still sat on the dining room table and a trail of poultry feathers on the floor which lead up the stairs. Joe ran into the kitchen to assess the damage, if any.

"Well?" Ben enquired gruffly when Jo re-entered the great room.

"You don't wanna know, Pa," he sheepishly replied.

Ben's temper was rising. "Adam I..."

"Look Pa, I said I'd take care of it," insisted Adam, cutting his father off. "She's just not use to life on a ranch."

"Well she better start getting use to it and fast or Miss Evelyn and I will be having a serious discussion," warned Ben.

"She's my wife, Pa, and I will handle the situation!" blurted Adam.

"I certainly hope so son, because I will not stand for our home being destroyed!"

"Our home is not destroyed, Pa."

"Adam, we have dirty dishes, wet horses, bald chickens, and holes shot in my rugs!"

"OK, OK!" Adam conceded. "I'll go talk with her, but I will deal with things my way!" And with that said, Adam ascended the stairs.

"I sure hope his way works," Joe said doubtfully.

Adam charged through his bedroom door to find Evelyn sitting at the vanity trying to get a brush through her hair. "Now see here..." he began in a deep, stern voice, slamming the door behind him.

Evelyn spun around on her stool. "My hair!" she shrieked. "Look what those damn chickens did to my hair!"

Adam took a good look at the state of his wife. White and brown feathers were scattered about in her ratted auburn locks. Her green calico dress was filthy and ripped in at least a dozen spots. Three simple chores, he thought. How could she look like this after three simple chores? "Woman, you need to calm down."

"Don't you 'woman' me Adam Stoddard Cartwright! I will calm down when I am damn good and ready!" Thundered Evelyn; jumping to her feet and shaking a brush at him. "Do you have any idea what I have been through today?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me," Adam replied dryly, his arms now folded across his chest. "And when you do, you would be wise to speak in a more lucid tone, and refrain from the profanity please. There is no need to be vulgar."

An infuriated Evelyn calmed herself long enough to relay the day's events to her husband. As she described her ordeal, it took every ounce of will power Adam had to keep from bursting out with laughter. His eyes and facial expression, however, gave him away.

"Glad you find my suffering so amusing!" she barked.

"Your suffering? For pity sake, Evelyn, you were asked to do three simple tasks, not plough a thousand acres in a day."

"Four tasks! You forgot making lunch, and it might have seemed simple to you but for me it was not! I suppose you think my French tutor taught me how to feed chickens or that I learned how to cook from my dance instructor. I was not raised on a ranch like you and your brothers, Adam. You have no right to ask me to do something I am not comfortable with. I will not subject myself to this humiliation any longer!"

"I'm sorry we corrupted your delicate nature with our backwards way of life, your majesty!" retorted Adam giving her a mocking bow.

"How could you say such a hurtful thing?" Evelyn said in a quivering voice. She turned to the vanity and slowly sat down, facing the mirror. Seeing her husband's reflection in the mirror, Evelyn spoke without facing him directly. "I want to go home, Adam," she pleaded. "I want to go back to Boston."

"We're not going back to Boston, Evelyn. This is your home now, so I suggest you toughen up a little and make the best of the matter. You can start by cleaning up the mess you created."

"Arrrrgghh!" she screamed. "I had no idea I married such an insensitive brute!"

"I had no idea I had married such a spoiled princess!" he snapped back then ducked quickly to miss a vase zoom overtop. The yellow ceramic hit the bedroom door, shattering into small pieces.

"Have you lost your mind?" Adam yelped.

"I assure you I am quite sane!"

Adam stormed over to the dresser in the corner of the room, opened the top drawer and pulled out a night shirt. He then grabbed a pillow off the bed and marched towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Evelyn questioned with shock in her voice. "We are not finished our discussion."

Adam spun on his heel to face Evelyn. "You call this a discussion?" he asked rhetorically. "I'll be sleeping in the spare room tonight. Maybe that will give you enough time to cool off. I cannot speak to you when you are being so irrational. Besides, I need to be up early tomorrow, we're branding calves."

"Fine!" she yelled.

"Fine!" he hollered back, slamming the door as he left.

Evelyn flung herself on the bed and began to weep uncontrollably. For the next ten minutes she continued to cry. How could she have let things get so out of hand? She only had been at the Ponderosa for a few days and already Evelyn had embarrassed herself, wrecked the house and animals, and fought with her husband. How can I possibly redeem myself? she wondered. After several moments an idea struck her. Evelyn rose from her bed and once again sat at the vanity. "Better fix this hair and get to bed," she muttered to herself. "I need to be up early tomorrow."


	7. Chapter 7

The men sat quietly at the dining room table eating their breakfast. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. No one dare speak of yesterday's events, especially in front of Adam. He was at a loss of what to do about his new bride's blatant disregard of accountability over the mess she caused. Adam felt her childish behaviour had been inexcusable but had no idea what he might say or do when he saw her today. He was glad to be leaving the house early, thus avoiding a confrontation with Evelyn that was inevitable. Was he being a coward? Absolutely, but better a calm coward than a hot-headed fool who might say or do something rash.

"Well boys, let's get..."

Clop! Clop! Clop!

An interrupted Ben and his sons turned to see Evelyn clopping down the stairs; at least they thought it was Evelyn. She had appeared to have raided Adam's closet. Evelyn was sporting one of his black button-down shirts and matching trousers with a leather belt cinched tightly around her waist holding everything in place. The black cowboy boots she wore looked to be two sizes too big, hence the loud clopping sound she made upon entering the room.

Tying her hair back into a pony-tail, Evelyn marched up to the gaping men and snatched a couple of biscuits off the table. Shoving a biscuit into each pant pocket, she then took the cup of coffee from Adam's hand and drained it in one gulp.

"What are you all standing around for?" she questioned impatiently. "There are cattle to brand; let's get going!" Evelyn announced then began to stomp towards the front door. Stopping a few feet from the door, she turned and addressed her husband. "You know, Adam, it wouldn't kill you to add a bit of colour to your wardrobe. All this black is positively morbid," she stated before leaving.

Adam couldn't believe what he just witnessed. He stood there, feet glued to the floor, looking at his father and brothers completely bewildered.

Ben strode up to his eldest son and gave him a playful slap on the back. "Best not keep the lady waiting son," he quipped wryly then walked outside.

"Yeah big brother," agreed Hoss slapping him on the back as well, "there are cattle to brand." Hoss left the room laughing.

Joe walked by Adam without saying a word. Good, though Adam, at least I won't hear any razzing from him.

He was not so fortunate. Before Joe left the house he let out an infectious giggle and remarked "I gotta say Adam, your way of handling things is mighty entertaining. Can't wait for the next show!"

Adam clasped the bridge of his nose. The day had yet to begin and already he had a headache. "Oh, give me strength," he grumbled looking skyward then headed out for the 'next show'.

The ranch hands at the branding site didn't know what to make of their new co-worker. They looked at each other as if to say is this some kind of joke? This did not faze Evelyn however. She sweetly introduced herself to the men then proceeded to engage them in small talk before Adam called her to his side. "Are you ready to get started, Evvy?"

"Ready when you are," she lilted.

During the ride over, Adam stewed about what he could have Evelyn do at the site. He didn't want her to get physically hurt in any way yet part of him wanted to see Evelyn get her comeuppance for the immature behaviour displayed during the past few days. Secretly though, there was more to it than having Evelyn be accountable for her actions; Adam's pride had been bruised. It was important for him to save face with his father and brothers. After all, Adam was now the head of his own household and having to deal with an insubordinate wife was something he was not prepared for. He hoped the experience at the branding site would help restore his status as 'man of the house'.

Handing Evelyn a lasso, Adam pointed to a herd of cattle. "See the calves yonder," he asked her. "Your job is to take this rope, loop it around a calf's neck and lead it to us, by the fire, so it can be branded."

"That's all," Evelyn questioned smugly.

"Yes, that's all."

"Piece of cake," she said yanking the rope out of his hand and strolled towards a cluster of calves about forty yards away.

As Evelyn went to rustle herself up a calf, Ben Hoss and Joe drew near to a satisfied-looking Adam.

"Adam, what is the meaning of this?" Ben growled.

"What did you expect, Pa, that Evelyn was coming out here to make us tea? This is a working ranch. She made the choice to tag along and she'll work like the rest of us," he adamantly stated.

"But Adam she could get hurt," said Joe.

"Joe's right, Adam; you know how them calves can be. You can't just throw someone who doesn't know anything about cattle into a job like that. A body's bound to get hurt, especially Evelyn," Hoss protested.

"This situation has gotten far too out of hand. You go get your wife and take her home this minute!" Ben commanded in a booming voice.

Not budging from his spot, Adam folded his arms across his chest. "Relax, Pa," he grinned mischievously, "she won't last long. After five minutes of trying to catch one of those calves, she'll be back at the house where she belongs, shooting your rugs and drenching your horses."

"That's about enough out of you young man," warned Ben.

"No disrespect, Pa, but like I said she's my wife and I will handle things the way I see fit."

"Suit yourself son, just know I'm holding you responsible for what might occur."

"Yes sir, I am aware," he muttered in a slightly nervous tone as he saw Evelyn get closer to a calf.

"All I have to do is get you over to the men," said Evelyn to a chocolate brown calf, "then the rest is up to them." Evelyn placed the lasso loop around the animal's neck. This isn't so difficult, she observed. The second she tightened the rope, however, it was a different story. The calf took off light lightening, taking Evelyn with it. She let go of the rope after being dragged for a few yards, landing face down in the dirt. As soon as it was free, the calf stopped, turned and gazed down at it's would be captor. Evelyn's tenacious spirit then kicked in. She staggered to her feet, brushed herself off, and then once again took hold of the rope.

This time the calf wouldn't budge. Evelyn yanked and pulled, but apparently the animal was as determined as she was. After several minutes of struggle, Evelyn decided her naughty friend needed a reminder of who was in charge. Leaning atop of the calf, she reached over and planted a firm smack on its backside. The animal gave a yelp and began to sprint towards the branding station. This time Evelyn was not left in the dust, but was flopped over the calf's back along for the ride. If she were at a rodeo, Evelyn would take first place, having lasted longer than the required eight seconds. But this was no rodeo, and Evelyn was no cowboy. One final jostle was all it took to flip Evelyn completely over and land flat on her back on the ground. When Evelyn raised her head, there was the calf standing beside her, glaring down. "Why you little potlicker!" she seethed as she stood up. Then grabbing the calf's ear as though it were a disobedient child, Evelyn lead the animal the rest of the way to the branding site, which thanks to her ride was not far.

"Here you go," she said victoriously to the ranch hand who took the calf.

The part which came next, Evelyn was not ready for. The calf's legs were tied and the animal was forced to the ground. As one man held the animal another took a glowing, red-hot iron and seared its hide with the Ponderosa brand. The smell of burnt flesh permeated her nostrils and made her feel somewhat nauseous. The bawling cries of the calf brought tears to her eyes. Hearing her name being called, Evelyn dried her eyes on one of her sleeves and turned to see and Adam and the other Cartwright men running towards her.

"Evvy, are you alright?" Adam asked, catching his breath.

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied curtly.

"I'll go get your horse, Evelyn," offered Joe.

"Why Joe, am I going somewhere?"

"I just thought that you...um...might...uh," stammered Joe helplessly.

Adam intervened quickly "Hon, I think you've had enough excitement for this morning. Joe, please get her horse."

"No, Joseph," she exclaimed stopping him, "do not get my horse!"

Ben stepped in. "Evelyn, perhaps..."

"Perhaps your son should think twice about the tasks he assigns me," she interrupted. Evelyn walked up to Hoss, swiped the rope from his hand then turned and glared at Adam. "Now if you will all excuse me, this 'princess' has cattle to fetch."


End file.
